Chess Rumble by G. Neri; art by Jesse Joshua Watson. Lee & Low, 2007.
Life was good and Marcus had a happy family, filled with giggles and fun, then his little sister died. His dad left and his mom struggled with work and taking care of the home. Not only she have no time for Marcus, but she was always asking him to help out in the house. Life became hard, and despair, frustration and anger filled his heart. That anger had to be let out, and fist fighting was the only way he knew.
Chess? It seemed easy enough to Marcus, all he had to do was to “get the king!” Soon enough he realized that there were all these “opening move”, “middle game”, and “end game” strategies to think about. Of course “It’s all about the next three moves,” the chess master tells him. The more he plays, the more he is drawn into the games.
Marcus, eleven years old, starts to redirect his energy from fist-fighting to playing chess. He learns about chess, and through chess he learns about life. In the end he even thinks of getting Latrell, his once-friend, now bully and enemy, to play.
Like Elliott’s Bird, this book not only comes with great illustrations, but also shows kids a way out of a chaotic world without giving in to violence or drugs. Chess Rumble is great reading material for 4th graders and up. Its free verse and colloquial language makes it attractive to the reluctant reader.
Looking for more chess related materials? Check out the bibliography we have compiled at: http://urbanafreelibrary.org/children/books/booklists/chess.php
Want to join a chess club? Come to the Children’s Department of the Urbana Free Library. We play chess every Saturday from 4- 5:45 p.m. All levels of chess skill are welcome. We have high school volunteer chess players to teach and help kids play.
-- Shih-Mei C.
Life was good and Marcus had a happy family, filled with giggles and fun, then his little sister died. His dad left and his mom struggled with work and taking care of the home. Not only she have no time for Marcus, but she was always asking him to help out in the house. Life became hard, and despair, frustration and anger filled his heart. That anger had to be let out, and fist fighting was the only way he knew.
Chess? It seemed easy enough to Marcus, all he had to do was to “get the king!” Soon enough he realized that there were all these “opening move”, “middle game”, and “end game” strategies to think about. Of course “It’s all about the next three moves,” the chess master tells him. The more he plays, the more he is drawn into the games.
Marcus, eleven years old, starts to redirect his energy from fist-fighting to playing chess. He learns about chess, and through chess he learns about life. In the end he even thinks of getting Latrell, his once-friend, now bully and enemy, to play.
Like Elliott’s Bird, this book not only comes with great illustrations, but also shows kids a way out of a chaotic world without giving in to violence or drugs. Chess Rumble is great reading material for 4th graders and up. Its free verse and colloquial language makes it attractive to the reluctant reader.
Looking for more chess related materials? Check out the bibliography we have compiled at: http://urbanafreelibrary.org/children/books/booklists/chess.php
Want to join a chess club? Come to the Children’s Department of the Urbana Free Library. We play chess every Saturday from 4- 5:45 p.m. All levels of chess skill are welcome. We have high school volunteer chess players to teach and help kids play.
-- Shih-Mei C.
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